Someday

Climbing Mingun Paya is no easy feat. It isn't for those who are afraid or even tentative of heights. You must scale the structure barefoot, as it is considered a religious site. There are some makeshift ladders and steps, as well as sketchy drop...

Fort Myers Beach Pier has great white soft sand.It is wonderful family beach. There is shopping, restaurants and even street performers in Times Square. Good family food option = Citrola's Times Square Grill & Pizzeria Sanibel Island is world...

If you are in Amsterdam, you must visit the Anne Frank House, which is located on the Prinsengracht Canal. It was in this "Secret Annex" that the young Anne Frank wrote her world-famous diary while hiding in occupied Holland. Visitors are allowed...

My travel buddy wanted desperately to visit Ao Nang and Railay Beach - but our driver had taken his sweet time in delivering us from our hotel in Koh Lanta to our place in Krabi, so we were left with a difficult decision; jump in a boat and hope...

There's not too much to do on Rottnest Island, just off the coast of Perth in Western Australia, unless you want there to be! Since there aren't cars on the island, excepting the off maintenance vehicle and one bus, visitors use their two feet or...

We don't normally shop when we travel, but the local markets in Santorini that are perched on top of the caldera really got our attention. Grocery shopping is definitely that much more exciting when you have the Aegean Sea as the backdrop. These...

Varanasi, a city on the banks of the Ganges, is one of the holiest sites in Hinduism and the spiritual capital of India. Many religious pilgrims come to Varanasi, specifically to the Ganges, to perform ritual ablutions and to await death. No place...

Stumbling around Madrid I came upon this crypt down from the Royal Palace. I finally decided to check out this exemplary architecture haven amidst the jamon and shoe shops in the vicinity. This Neo-Romanesque crypt bears the remains of many in its...

Here, old-world tradition and elegance abound. The staff and level of attention to service is impeccable. The gentlemen behind the bar with their starched short red tuxedo jackets, white shirts, and black bow ties against a backdrop of dark...

If you are in the area its definitely a place one needs to see, you will be impressed by the scale of it all. if you go to the SKYWALK, the horseshoe configured walkway above the Canyon you will be able to look through the glass floor at the...

Whenever I get back to the USA from my new European home, I just have to get to New York City. I'm from across the river in Jersey but feel that the city is a part of home, having been going here since I was a kid. And look, the top billboard here...

You see some people come all over the world just for a glimpse of such a breathtaking sight. Some of the locals including myself take it for granted that we have this in our very own backyard. I try to come here as much as I can. But I get caught...

For one of the skyline's best views, check out the Cavallo Point Lodge, which is set in Fort Baker, a 350-acre national park just below the Golden Gate Bridge. It has 17 colonial renovated buildings that have red roofs and covered porches....

There is a reason why renting a villa in Tuscany is so popular - rustic farmhouses, rolling hills filled with olive and plum trees, golden sunsets, locally-harvested wine, creamy cheeses, and cool evenings spent with friends and family. Renting a...

Triglavski Narodi, or "Triglav" is one of Europe's oldest parks and is a hidden traveling treasure. Premiere places to see while traveling western Slovenia. Raft the Soča River, one of the world's premier rafting locations and an important battle...

When they say Big Sur, the "big" cannot be underscored enough. The Big Sur coastline area of California might be among my favorite places on earth. It doesn't matter what time of day, season of the year, or type of weather--it always has some...

An excerpt from a poem to commemorate the city in which I live: 'Like a divine answer to a selfish prayer, the moving vessel slams to a halting, screeching, shaking, screaming stop and you are swept up in an exiting flow of sheep or salmon or city...

It's a bit cold, yes - even in August. But the spectacular views and pristine water easily make up for the chilly swimming. We packed our beach towels, bought a few cold beers, and hiked around the lake for awhile until we found a more secluded...

Due to the fog the Lighthouse was actually closed down when we went, but the short hike to the lighthouse in the fog made for some beautiful scenery and photos. Point Reyes National Seashore was the highlight of our trip to the Bay Area. Miles of...

Maybe birds are your passion, maybe not. Me, I like watching them do their collective thing - but prefer to do so in comfort, with a hot coffee, and after having slept in past 8am. Wherever you are on the scale of bird-lover, from 'meh' to...

Namibia protects more of its land than any other country - but did you know it also protects its sky? In 2012, Namibia's NamibRand Nature Reserve became the only second location in the world to be certified as a Gold Tier International Dark Sky...

The Ha'penny Bridge, officially the Liffey Bridge, was built in 1816 over the River Liffey in Dublin. For over 100 years it had cost between half a penny and a penny and a half to cross the pedestrian bridge but today it is free. I found myself...

Taking one of the boat trips from Milos' main port town Adamas out to Kleftiko is a must do when visiting the island. Though rough seas could make the boat ride less than ideal, the clarity and beauty of the water and the uniqueness of the rock...

Perched high above a breathtaking rock masterpiece in the town of Las Salinas sits Magnific Rock Hotel, an inviting wooden lodge with the best sunset view on the Pacific coast. Surfers flock here for the legendary Popoyo break, but also for...

Chinas Huangshan Mountains. Beautiful picturesk a must visit place for anyone that loves nature, hiking and something unforgettable. I wish i would have stayed 4 more days hiking the mountain. Huangshan is the subject of frequent traditional...

Sure, it's one of the more touristy destinations on the small island of Tobago, but sometimes you don't have to go off the beaten path to enjoy sensational sundowners in the West Indies. You don't even need to go into the pay area of the beach....

We've all been to the beach. We have all felt sand. But maybe not all of us have seen sand dunes of this nature. Located about 45 minutes outside of the main city of Santa Cruz, Las Lomas de Arena are worth the trip. The dirt road leading to the...

The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is a federally protected peninsula on the north shore of Kauai. It protects a variety of seabirds, some of which nest on the cliffs surrounding the peninsula. The Kilauea wildlife refuge is one of the...

Keep your eye out for a poison frog in the Ecuadorian Amazon. While on the Sacha Lodge property, along the Rio Napo, I spotted one while spending four hours scanning the leaves along the trails. These frogs are small, just the size of a dime, and...

I've been to a few beaches, and I have to say I haven't seen any that compare to the cliche-ridden soft, golden sands of Grace Bay in the Turks and Caicos. Not only do you get a view of those gorgeous "turquoise" waters but you also feel like you...

The first two days on the ship I think I went to at least 5 kayak meetings; safety briefings, mud room loading and unloading, gear fittings, and a ‘weeding out’ meeting. I didn’t have the experience required and I was ready to back out. The last...

On the way up Mount Tamalpais heading through Mount Tamalpais State Park, the options are endless. There's hiking, camping, red woods, pull offs, hidden beer houses and beautiful drives through winding roads. All of this is within 20-30 minutes...

The dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History are usually the highlights for visitors, and they are indeed beautiful and worthy of praise, but the Hall of the North West Coast Indians is a gem that most people miss. The Hall is the oldest...

We were near the border of Algeria in Morocco, at the Gateway to the Sahara. We did an overnight camel trek (proper name is a dromedary, camels have two humps, dromedaries have one). Our hosts shared a cigarette around the fire.

Cow Wreck Beach Bar on Anegada has, in my book, replaced Jost Van Dyke's Soggy Dollar Bar as the most beautiful and remote destination in the British Virgin Islands. This beckoning hammock can be found alongside the bar. Though the few visitors...

Kenya will change your life. I took my first trip to Africa with in 2009 with a service organization, Heart for Africa. We worked with AIDS widows and street kids who have been placed in a home. It will break your heart and open your eyes. I have...

We spent three nights of our Australian honeymoon in a luxury cabin in the rainforest. After nervously hopping in our rental car (left-hand drive for the first time) and driving out of the Gold Coast airport, we made our way deep into the...

In the deep valley formed by the falling and flowing water of the upper Düden waterfalls, there are promenades and trout restaurants. But if you walk far and deep enough, you will approach a river and encounter with plants of a myraid of colours....

Driving south from Reno, Nev., my then-fiancée and I were slightly anxious. We were on our way to the wedding of one of Kate’s best friends to a Patagonia-sponsored rock climber who had completed first ascents and other impressive feats throughout...

I was mesmerized by the icebergs in Antarctica- each unique like a snowflake. But in addition to beautiful looks, they also had a personality which is what I think drew them to me the most. An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater ice that has...

Have an exciting day tour starting at the Step Pyramid of Sakkarra proceeding to Memphis; which was the capital of Old Egypt during the Old Kingdom and is considered to be a center of rule and culture for over 3000 years the first capital of Egypt...

At Nasser’s stables, I hoist myself up into the saddle of a mottled Arabian mare. She’s small, but spirited, and we canter for a while into the dark gray void that appears abruptly at the edge of Giza and doesn’t end until it spills into the...

Cairo Tower, also known as El Gezira Tower or Borg Al Kahira, is considered one of the most prominent features of the Egyptian capital. Its partially open lattice-work design is intended to evoke a lotus plant. Visit the tower at night, where you...

I traveled to Cairo last month with AFAR Experiences, and we visited the beautiful Sultan Hassan Mosque to meet with Imam Moez Masoud. The mosque, built in the mid-1300s, sits placidly in the midst of buzzing, honking Cairo, a peaceful oasis for...

Don't be fooled by camels. Cute and adorable-looking on the outside, these guys like to snarl. And spit. And try to make it really clear that they don't actually want you to climb on their back so they can hoist you in the air and be led to and...

this bridge called by kaser EL Neil Cairo connect the island between two cities in Cairo and Giza Cairo east bank the Nile and Giza west bank the river Nile this bridge built 1898 during the king ismali this bridge decoration with two lion form...

Bab Zuwayla was part of the original walls of Cairo built in 1092. The Zuwayla gate is one of the most well known landmarks in the city and is also one of three remaining gates of the Fatimid dynasty. This historic gate contains twin towers, each...

Go back to the time of the Pharaohs and discover the enchanting pharaonic history the spectacular Sound and Light Show at Giza Pyramids of Cheops, Chefren and Mykerinus. The show starts with the story of the Sphinx who has been the vigilant...

Toward the end of a three-day trek through the Simien Mountains, we stopped for a break in a village on the way out of Simien National Park. The hosts offered us a homemade beer, which they served out of metal vegetable cans and which tasted like...

After weeks of exhilarating, yet exhausting travel through Indonesia, I recommend pampering yourself at the end of the journey at a place like Maya Ubud. The resort is set seamlessly among the lush jungles and rice terraced slopes of Bali, near...

The sunrise at Borobudur is one of those magical experiences that makes us spend so much money on travel. The site of the smoking volcano on the horizon, combined with the brilliant hues and Buddhas on the summit of the temple mountain, make this...

This is what I think of when travel comes to mind. I think untrammeled territory, wide open country, bits and pieces of the world I've never seen before, people doing things I didn't know they still do or ever did, and a big, booming landscape....

Sanur is a beautiful and quaint part of Bali with hotels along the boardwalk that lines the beach. The boardwalk really makes Sanur special, as walking in Bali can be treacherous in most of the towns with narrow streets and tiny sidewalks, but...

In the Thai mecca for rock climbing, Railay Beach, my friend and I did some fantastic cliff diving. Nothing gets your adrenaline pumping like climbing up the rock face and then diving into turquoise ocean water.

South East Asia's most popular form of transportation between islands is the long-tail boat, or Reua Hang Yao. These large wooden canoes are powered by a second hand car engine with a propeller mounted on a moveable pole that extends out into the...

One of the activities in Phuket is kayaking in a maze of forest, and surrounded by the trees. Of course, an expert guide will row the boat through, and let you take all the pictures you want. However, some areas are under the cave, so that you...

Siam Hut has amazingly cheap bungalows right on the beach of Koh Chang. The bungalows come air conditioned or with fans, they have private bathrooms and there's a big communal seaside deck off the Tree House restaurant. At night they light these...

Maya Bay is no real secret - Leonardo DiCarprio's The Beach took care of that - but it is still one of the most naturally stunning places on earth. The old Thai longboats that settle in on the beach help add to the atmosphere too. As far as pure...

This a breath-taking place, the James Bond Island in Phuket, Thailand. The island got its name from featuring in the James Bond movie "The Man with the Golden Gun". This is a must-go place part of the island-hopping activity in Phuket.

Waking early to the loud morning chorus of the Thai rainforest is an amazing experience. Whooping gibbons, honking hornbills and buzzing insects compete to fill the air waves with their loud songs to the new day. The floating bungalows on Lake...

While in Rio you must go to Sugarloaf Mountain. It has beautiful views of the entire city. I went on a day that was misty and cloudy and was a little disappointed that I couldn't see the Christ the Redeemer statue from the mountain, but soon the...

Rio has never been busier. The city is building up and out for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. Part of a massive port facelift, the Museum of Art of Rio opens later this year. But in colonial bairros, such as Santa Teresa, fresh...

Forte de Copacabana is located at the point which divided the Copacabana beach and the Ipanema beach. After the sunset, the sky is still blue with the hint of orange and purple. The street lights are on, and are along the beach front. Standing on...

In Rio, a rocky promontory divides the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. At the end is a large flat rock that was once a place where fishermen harpooned the whales that came to reproduce in the warm waters. Hence the Portuguese name Arpoador,...

Acropolis is one of the world's most famous landmarks and Greece's center of history and culture. The Parthenon is the largest structure of the Acropolis and is admired by the entire world. The temple was complete in 438 BC and was dedicated to...

Our villa's patio in Santorini was equipped with some comfy benches that provided the perfect, secluded oasis to enjoy the sunset from the hordes of people who flood the northern town of Oia at day's end. The soft dusk light blankets the...

The Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (首都圏外郭放水路), also known as the G-Cans Project, is an underground water infrastructure project in Kasukabe, Saitama. It is the world's largest underground floodwater diversion facility, built...

These little wooden structures house pumps that send piping-hot water from sulphur hot springs to the many inns and B&Bs dotting the area around Oku-nikko, a picturesque resort town located in the mountains of Nikko. It's a fantastic overnight...

As a foreigner living in South Korea, I always hear about people traveling to Thailand or the Philippines to get to the beaches. It is widely believed that South Korea has no beaches that can compare to those of Southeast Asia. I am writing this...

After spending a week in Rome we took the train down to Fomina to catch the ferry to Ponza. It is one of three islands called the "pearl Islands". It was May so the temperature was about 75 and the tourist rush had not started yet. It is mostly...

I woke up well past 6:12am this morning and the world had not come to an end as the Mayans had supposedly predicted centuries ago but it did remind me of my trip to Tikal because on that day, I witnessed an unforgettable event. When we entered in...

One of the most beautiful Mayan sites in Central America is Tikal. Last summer I got the opportunity to visit Tikal. If you are a fan of ruins then this place is a must see. Note: If you do go be sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, because...

Northern Thailand really is at it’s best during the ‘green season’. Imagine serene countryside surrounded by rolling rainforest-covered hills, hidden waterfalls, expansive fields, clear fresh air and birdsong. Between the provinces of Nan and...

They say the eyes are the "window to the soul." What kinds of stories do these eyes tell you? The Elephant Nature Park outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand is a truly wonderful place that takes in elephants that have been injured and abused. They are...

One of my favorite festivals in the world is the Loi Krathong / Yi Peng ‘festival of light’ in Thailand. Both occur at the same time and although differing slightly, both represent the cleansing of sins. Yi Peng takes place mainly in Chiang Mai in...

If you need a break from lounging on the lovely northern beaches, cruising up to Barrenjoey in Palm Beach will bring you to this absolute gem. The hiking trails are plentiful and the view from the top is incredible. With sweeping views in all...

Even on a cloudy day, Lake Tekapo's brilliant shades of blue are caused by "rock flour" - finely ground particles of rock from the glaciers at the head of the lake and suspended in the melt water. The treeline is comprised of Monterey Pines which...

Rent a car and get out on the highways and byways of the Yucatan Peninsula to discover the Maya Kingdom that still exists beyond Cancun's resorts and Chichen Itza's overrun ruins. Maya towns with charming colonial centers and empty ruins dot the...

Climbing Mount Batur, one of the sacred volcanos of Bali, is a mind-warping experience if done before dawn. The volcanic sand runs away beneath your feet like an hourglass and the tassels of pine trees flow by you in the dark. My friends and I...

This guest house, tucked away in the inner streets of Urfa but still near all the sights, offers a relaxing and friendly atmosphere along with delicious homemade meals. Breakfast is served in the open air courtyard of the 19th century home, and...

A wake-up call at 4:30 a.m. seemed awfully early but well worth the effort. Just a short camel ride away was one of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen. Our pitch-black late night arrival at the riad where we stayed gave no hints that we...

We were among the first 50 or so people into Machu Picchu in the morning and the fog completely set the scene. It really made you feel like you were in a lost city and helped you understand how it could have been lost for so long.

After spending time in the numbing chaos of Kathmandu and trekking the arduous trail up to Everest Base Camp, Pokhara felt like a tropical island. Cows and water buffalo roamed the streets, the traffic was only minimal. The road was actually flat,...

I went to Hawaii for a week and one of our snorkeling guides told us about Koko Head Mountain. If I remember correctly its is about 1000 steps to the top, and they are literally steps. It looks like a railroad used to run up the mountain and the...

If you are looking for a great view over the city, consider visiting Porto Cathedral, or Sé do Porto. Its long history and stunning architecture, make it a must see location to visit. When I climbed to the top of the hill where the Cathedral is...

I thought Lisbon was the most beautiful city in Portugal, till I got to Porto. If you are looking for a weekend destination in Europe, Porto is a great option. It had all the right ingredients for a perfect long weekend or a short vacation in...

In January, my husband treated me to the best 40th birthday present - a trip to Iceland. One of our favorite stops on our exploration of Iceland was Vik, the country's Southernmost village. Iceland is a wonderful study in contrasts - light and...